Floating ceiling for car roofs



Dec. 27, 1938. w. D. THOMPSON ET AL 2,141,494

FLOATING CEILING FOR CAR ROOFS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3, '1937 INVENTORS WILLIAM D.THOMP$0N W W A TTORNEYS Dec. 27, 1938. w. D. THOMPSON ET AL 9 FLOATING CEILING FOR CAR ROOFS Filed May 5, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WILLIAM D. THOMPSON BY w ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STAT g 7 2,141,494 FLOATING CEILING FOR CAR ROOFS William D. Thmpson, Birmingham, Mich., and

William E. Bikle, Park Ridge, 111., assignors to Chicago-Hutchins Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 3, 1937, serial No. 140.486

8 Claims.

The invention relates to car roofs of the socalled two-plane type, in which the use of independent carlines is dispensed with and the sheets are secured to each other by abutting vertically of the sheets to each other and to the seam To this end, the invention consists in the same Figure 1 is a cross section through a portion of a car having a roof of the type above described showing the manner of securing the floating ceiling thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the roof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Figure 2 through both the roof and ceiling;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the hanger strip removed;

Figure 5 is a cross section at the ridge showing the manner of floatingly supporting the ceil ing panels on opposite sides thereof; I

Figure 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 6-6 of Figure 7;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal section on line 1-1 A series of rivets C secure these seam caps and 56 opposite sides of the strip. Ledge strips E, prefroof, hanger strips D are secured at the seams (c1. vlo -5.2)

erably of wood, are secured by screws F to these laterally extending flanges and form marginal supports'for the ceiling panels G, which are thusheld slightly below the lower plane portions A of the roof. The strips D could be placed between the flanges A of adjacent'rooflng sheets and secured thereto by the same rivets C which secure these flanges to each other and to the seam caps B. This, however,: would necessitate assembling the ceiling simultaneously with the assembling of the roofing sheets and would render it difficult to remove the ceiling panels without injury to the roof. This difficulty is overcome by the following construction:

When the roofing sheets are assembled, strips H of the same or slightly greater thickness than the strips D, are placed between the flanges A and are secured thereto by the rivets C which also attach the seam caps B. The strips H are cut away at points so as to leave spaces between the flanges A for the insertion of portions of the strips D. As shown, the strips D have upwardly extending ears D and D adjacent to' opposite ends thereof which are so positioned as to register'with the spaces formed between sections of the strips H and to also register-with one of the rivets. Thus when the roof is assembled the sheets A, seam caps B,

and strips H are riveted to each other, but the rivet holes which register with the ears D are omitted. The ceiling may then be secured to the roof by successively placing the strips D in position with the ears D and D thereof inserted in the spaces between the flanges A of the sheets. These strips are then secured by the insertion of rivets 0' through the unfilled apertures in the seam cap and flanges A and also through registering apertures D* in the ears D and D The ceiling panels G may be of any suitable construction, but as shown, are formed of ply board. The dimensions of the panels are such as to flt between the strips D with a slight clearance so as to permit of a limited independent movement of said panels with respect to the roof. The ledges formed by the strips E support the panels from downward displacement, and to prevent them from jumping upward spacer blocks 1 are secured at intervals to the margins thereof. These spacer blocks bear against the under faces of the upwardly offset portions B of the sheets and hold the panels G slightly spaced from the under face of the lower plane portions A.

For supporting the ceiling panels on opposite sides of the ridge, we preferably provide the following construction:

I is a hanger member which is secured at the ridge between the seam flanges of adjacent sheets and depending therefrom, is provided with a laterally extending flange I. To this flange is secured a longitudinally extending member J mortised at J to form supporting bearings for the panels upon opposite sides of the ridge, this also providing sufiicient clearance for the floating action. One method of securing the memberJ to the flange I is shown in Figures. 6 and '7 in which K is a flange secured to the flange I' to extend to the opposite side of the member I. L and L are bayonet slots formed in'thejmember K on one side and in the members'I and K- upon the opposite side of the member I. These slots have entrance portions on opposite sides respec;

other in the plane of the hanger, each sectionv being secured by. one of the bolts. Thus the structure is one which facilitatesthe installation of the ceiling afterv the construction of the car roof.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. The combination with a car roof comprising a series of roofing sheets with adjacent flanges riveted to each other and with'provision fora downwardly opening space between said flanges at one or more points, of astrip provided with an upwardly extending ear insertable into said space after the roof is assembled, a rivet for securing said earto saidflanges, and a'ceiling panel supported on said strip. 7 V

2. The combination with a car roof comprising a series of roofing sheets with abutting flanges rigidly secured to each other, of a spacer between said flanges interrupted at one or more pointsto leave a downwardly, opening space between said flanges, a strip providedwith an,upwardlyextending ear forinsertioninsaid space, means for securing said ear to said flanges, and a ceiling panel supported on said strip beneath said roof;

3. The combination with a car roof comprising a'series of roofing sheets with adjacentupwardly extending flanges, and a seam cap for covering said flanges, of a spacer between said flanges interrupted to leave a downwardly opening space between said flanges, a strip having an ear for engaging said downwardly opening space, rivets for rigidly securing said seam cam-flanges and spacer to each other, a rivet for securing said ear to said flanges in the space therebetween, and a ceiling panel supported on said strip.

4. The combination with a car roof comprising strip having upwardly extending ears for engaging said downwardlyopening-spaces, rivets for securing said seam cap, flanges and spacer to each This permits of engaging extending flanges, and a seam cap for covering said flanges, of a spacer between said flanges interrupted at a plurality of points to leave downwardly opening spaces between said flanges, a strip having upwardly extendingears for engaging said downwardly opening spaces, and provided at its lower edge with alternately oppositely extending angle flanges, rivets for securing said seam cap; flanges and spacer to each other, rivets for securingsaid ears in the spaces between said strips, ledgestrips secured to the flanges on the opposite sides of the aforesaid strip, and ceiling panels-supported on said ledge strips. 6. Thecombination with a'car roof comprising a series of roofing sheets with adjacent flanges riveted toeach other with a space therebetween in the ridge portion,,of. a hanger strip at the ridge inserted between said flanges and secured thereto, said stripdepending below said sheets and, provided with a laterally extending flange, a strip extending longitudinally beneath the ridge secured to said flange and rabbeted on its opposite edges, and ceiling panels on opposite sides of the ridge engaging said rabbeted edges and supported on said strip.

7. The combinationwith a car roof comprising a series of roofing sheets with adjacent flanges riveted to each other with a space therebetween in the ridgeportion, of a hanger strip at the ridgev inserted between said flanges and secured thereto,. said strip depending below said sheets and provided with a laterallyextending flange, a bayonet slot in said flange having-an entrance portion-upon .one side of the center of the ridge and a portionextending laterally slightly beyond the ridge, a headed bolt for engaging saidslot to be positioned at the center of the ridge, a longi-' tudinally-extending, strip beneath the ridgesecured to said flange by'saidbolt, said; strip being rabbeted on opposite edges thereof, and ceiling panels on opposite sides ,of the ridge engaging said rabbeted edges and supported on said strip.

8. The combination with. a car roof comprising a series of roofing sheets extending'upon opposite sides of the ridge with adjacent'flanges riveted toeach otherand with a space therebetween in the ridge portion, of a: hanger strip at the ridge inserted between said 1 flanges and secured thereto, said strip depending below. said sheets and having laterally extending flanges on opposite sides thereof, said flanges having bayonet slots therein with entrance portions on one side of the'center of the ridge and portions extending laterally therefrom slightly beyond the ridge, aligned strips extending beneath the ridge and abutting againstgeach otherzin the plane of said hanger, said. strips being; rabbeted along their opposite edges, bolts, for securing said alignedstrips tosaid flanges,gsaid bolts being entered through said slots 1 and positioned in alignment with'each otherat the ridge, and ceil-. ing panels engaging the rabbeted edges oflsaid strips on opposite sidesof the ridge.

"WILLIAM D. THOMPSON. WILLIAM'E; BIKLE. 

